Article Five: The Regeneration of the Sinner

We affirm that any person who responds to the Gospel with repentance and faith is born again through the power of the Holy Spirit. He is a new creation in Christ and enters, at the moment he believes, into eternal life.

This statement seems to affirm a synergistic understanding of regeneration. That is, it seems to affirm that regeneration is a cooperative effort between an unbeliever and God. The reason I say "seems to affirm" is due to imprecise language which, when engaging in theological dialogue is always problematic.

The phrase, "any person who responds to the Gospel with repentance and faith is born again through the power of the Holy Spirit," can be taken two ways. It can mean, "any person who responds to the Gospel does so because he is a born again person." Or it can mean, as I suspect the authors mean, "any person who responds to the Gospel is by that response born again." The difference in the possible meanings can be illustrated by the following two sentences: "Anyone who lifts 500 pounds is strong" vs. "Anyone who passes the bar exam is an attorney."

Given the whole statement in which this Article Five appears, as well as some of the defenses that have been offered by prominent signers and defenders of the statement, I am confident that those who originated and are promoting it do want to affirm that responding to the gospel with repentance and faith is what makes a person born again. As I have already noted, this is synergistic regeneration.

In the interest of clarity, let me note that when "synergism" vs. "monergism" is discussed in Calvinism/Arminianism debates what typically is in view is regeneration. The two words are theological shorthand to describe two opposing views of how regeneration comes to a person. Monergism sees regeneration to be a sovereign work of God in which He alone is active--that He gives new birth without any cooperative effort on the part of the individual. Synergism teaches that God regenerates a person only if and after that person repents and believes.

This issue highlights the importance of exercising care and precision when discussing fine points of biblical theology. If we move beyond the realm of regeneration into sanctification then nearly all monergists (with regard to regeneration) are synergists. That is, they believe that while there is no cooperation on the part of the individual in securing his new birth there is cooperative effort on his part in securing his growth in grace or sanctification.

With that said, the affirmers' apparent synergistic view of regeneration is biblically untenable as well as being in violation of the plain reading of Article IV of the Baptist Faith and Message (BFM) statement of the Southern Baptist Convention.

I must confess that I do not understand the rationale for the inclusion of most of the proof texts that are attached to this article and I am left wondering how their exegesis even touches on, much less supports, the authors' and signers' synergistic understanding of the new birth. These passages include obviously important and vitally connected issues: the necessity of the new birth, the necessity of the work of the Spirit in regeneration, the instrumentality of the Word of truth in regeneration, the necessity of repentance and faith, that there are operations of the Spirit that continue in the believer's life beyond regeneration, that regeneration is likened to a new creation, that regeneration is the new covenant fulfillment of the type of circumcision; but none of the proof texts indicate that regeneration is suspended on and dependent on the prior exhibition of repentance and faith on the part of the sinner. It was also interesting that one of the classic passages on the method of the new birth is completely omitted.

That passage, however, deserves consideration. John 1:12-13 states, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God." Verse 12 teaches that those who receive Christ were authorized to become children of God--adopted into his family. Verse 13 explains how that happened by speaking of the act of birth--an act that will be elaborated in John 3:1-8. Those who are adopted into God's family entered into that privileged status because they believed. They believed because they had been born (again) wholly and exclusively by the work of God. John specifically and plainly denies that their spiritual birth came through their genealogy ("not of blood") or through the exercise of their own will ("the will of the flesh") or through the imposition of another's will ("nor of the will of man"). Rather, those who are children of God enter into that status because they have been monergistically "born...of God." So in terms of the application of salvation, this passage teaches that it flows like this: new birth--faith--adoption. It is impossible to reconcile synergistic regeneration with these verses.

This Johannine view of the operation of the Spirit in the new birth finds reinforcement in this statement found in his first letter, "Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God" (1 John 5:10). John's pattern of argument throughout this whole letter is to give evidences of the new birth and not to prescribe its cause (2:29; 3:9, 10; 4:7; 5:4, 5). The whole letter teaches that the new birth is sovereignly given and is the fountain from which all spiritual life, including saving faith, flows.

This point is even more starkly taught by Jesus when he instructs Nicodemus in John 3. The Lord tells him "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God" (v. 3) and "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot [remember, "can" is a word of ability] enter the kingdom of God" (v. 5). Entrance into the kingdom is reserved for those who trust Christ. Jesus plainly states that such entrance is impossible unless one is born of the Spirit. In fact, He goes even further by saying that not only is it impossible to enter the kingdom of God without being born again, one cannot even see the kingdom of God without this supernatural change.

When Nicodemus expresses incredulity over this teaching, Jesus includes in his response this astounding affirmation of the free will of the sovereign Spirit. "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (v. 8). One of the concerns I have about this whole statement of affirmations and denials, as I have written previously, is the authors' apparent determination to protect the absolute freedom of fallen man's human will. Jesus shows a similar determination here, but it is directed toward the freewill of God's Spirit in the work of regeneration. Like the wind, in granting new birth, the Spirit, "blows where [he] wishes."

Even without going into the point of the analogy of birth these passages are sufficiently clear to show that the Bible teaches that God works monergistically to grant new birth to sinners. That does not mean that a person is passive in salvation because salvation consists of much more than regeneration. It does mean, however, that it is God's will and God's action alone that brings about new birth. This is precisely what is confessed in Article IV of the BFM.

That article reads in part,

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

A. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

This statement on regeneration affirms monergism. It is called a "work of God's grace" and "a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit." God alone is credited with being the Actor in the work of regeneration. Furthermore, the human action of repentance and faith are described as responsive. Ask any English professor to identify the antecedent of the pronoun
"which" and he or she will tell you that it is the "It" that begins the
sentence, which itself refers back to "Regeneration, or new birth." In other words, regeneration "is a change of heart...to which the sinner responds in repentance...and faith" (emphasis added).

The Baptist Faith and Message teaches the priority of regeneration to faith. Rather than faith resulting in the new birth (which would be like Jesus saying, "you cannot believe unless you enter the kingdom of God") the new birth results in faith. This is why the BFM goes on to confess that "repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace" (emphasis added).

Not only are the authors and signers of this "Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of God's Plan of Salvation" out of step with Scripture in their view of regeneration, they are also out of step with the Baptist Faith and Message.

For a more complete statement on my understanding of regeneration go here.

13 comments:

Great response, as usual. The plain reading of Ephesians 2 would lead to that conclusion as well, that even faith is a gift of God so that no one can boast. Can they not see that this synergism they insist on leads to an overemphasizing of the importance of man?

"It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin"

Though I believe the BFM is in large part Calvinistic by heritage, beside the dropping of condemnation from the orthodox view of Original sin, the short phrase above is where the synergist will argue that it is not monergistic. If the BFM would have said, "Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God by whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit, by which the sinner responds through conviction of sin in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Conviction, repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Grace is God's provision of all things necessary for salvation."

Also, I wouldn't agree that most monergists in regeneration are synergists in sanctification. I have found the opposite to be true. Calvin was a monergist in sanctification just as strongly as he was in regeneration. Though it is true that in the former we are active and not totally passive he remarked that God requires faith in all things we do, but faith itself is his work in us. Even our prayers, he said, unless the Holy Spirit worked in us to do so would not be. As an adherent to the 1689 you will find that any good work requires first the Holy Spirit's in the believer to cause him to will and to do. It is never simple synergism, but always, conviction, repentance working by faith. Faith its self is a gift of the Holy Spirit who, as the confession admits, God works in us the willing and the doing of his good pleasure. As Calvin said quoting Augustine: 'Indeed, God requires faith itself of us; yet he does not find something to require unless he has given something to find." Again, "Let God give what he commands, and command what he will."' And again in speaking of our total inability even as believers in their own sanctification: 'Away, then, with all the absurd trifling which many have indulged. Although believers sometimes ask to have their heart trained to the obedience of the divine law, as David does in several passages, (Ps. 51: 12,) it is to be observed, that even this longing in prayer is from God. This is apparent from the language used. When he prays, “Create in me a clean heart,” he certainly does not attribute the beginning of the creation to himself. Let us therefore rather adopt the sentiment of Augustine, “God will prevent you in all things, but do you sometimes prevent his anger. How? Confess that you have all these things from God, that all the good you have is from him, all the evil from yourself,” (August. De Verbis Apost. Serm. 10.) Shortly after he says “Of our own we have nothing but sin.”' Which is precisely what the confession says. Walter Marshall held the same http://thomastwitchell.wordpress.com/2011/02/09/first-passive-then-active-excerpts-from-the-gospel-mystery-of-sanctification-by-walter-marshall/

I could list a lot more monergists who didn't bite into synergism in sanctification. While one can say it is first monergistic then synergistic. It is probably best to use Marshall's wording. Sanctification is monergistic in which we are first passive then active. As with faith it is worked in us, only then do we cooperate with it, and then only according to the gift as it is given and for the purposes it was sent to achieve.

The nature of the New Birth (John 3)“Ye must be born again (from above)”It is personal. “Ye”It is paramount “Ye Must”It is passive. “Ye must Be born from above”It is powerful “Born from above”It is perceivable “The wind blows ..so is every one born of the Spirit”It is permanent. “See and enter the kingdom of God ..have eternal life”

The NHCF of 1853 on which the BFM was based clearly teaches the repentance and faith are fruits of regeneration. 7. Of Grace in RegenerationWe believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated, or born again (1); thatregeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind (2); that it is effected in amanner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit, in connection withdivine truth (3), so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel (4); and that itsproper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, and faith, and newness of life

Even if the response of the sinner was to "conviction of sin", that is still linked grammatically to the work of the Holy Spirit in regeneration. Whether "which" is regeneration or the effect of regeneration (conviction of sin), it is still monergistic.

The position expressed in this document does not rise even to the Arminian position expressed in article three of Remonstrance. It is pure semi-Pelagianism. 3.That man does not posses saving grace of himself, nor of the energy of his free will, inasmuch as in his state of apostasy and sin he can of and by himself neither think, will, nor do any thing that is truly good (such as saving Faith eminently is); but that it is necessary that he be born again of God in Christ, through his Holy Spirit, and renewed in understanding, inclination, and will, and all his faculties, in order that he may rightly understand, think, will, and effect what is truly good, according to the Word of Christ, John 15:5, “Without me you can do nothing.”

You should hear John Gerstner in his WCF and Handout Theology lectures on Regeneration scolding ministers who don't understand the fundamental truth that regeneration precedes faith. All the doctrines of grace flow out of one another.

Great response! I was so disappointed when I saw that even our State cooperative leaders signed the statement. Seems like that would fall under State Leadership 101- do not sign any divisive documents.

My strongly worded response to our State leaders asked if "A Statement of the Traditional Southern Baptist Understanding of Eschatology" was next?

Were you aware of something written that sought to address some of the points you made in your post? Though he omitted exegesis, he mentioned something about different kinds of synergism. I was going to comment in the aforementioned thread a bit, but given that he wrote the response to you, I wanted to bring it to your attention.